Sony's full-frame compact camera goes for a sharper image

Sony's got a new version of its full-frame Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 compact intended for folks who want to eke out every bit of sharpness from their photos. The RX1R is identical to the RX1 in almost every respect -- including the $2,799.99 price -- but lacks an optical low-pass filter (OLPF) on the sensor. Of course, it has updated image-processing algorithms to compensate for the artifacts that OLPF filters commonly handle, such as moire. That probably means it will perform a little slower because of the processing overhead.

So Sony's offering two full-frame compacts at the same price. That's bound to confuse some shoppers, though the OLPF-free version is really for people who need to resolve fine detail in still subjects like landscapes.